<![CDATA[The Modern Football Club]]>Running a football club isn’t just about what happens on the pitch.

The Modern Football Club takes you inside the real world of grassroots football, where volunteers juggle admin, coaches fight for time, and clubs grow faster than their systems can handle.

This podcast is an honest, no-filter look at the challenges, decisions, and lessons that come with building something that actually works.

No fluff. No headlines. Just the reality of football behind the scenes.

]]>https://riverside.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Fri, 29 May 2026 19:53:38 GMTMon, 23 Mar 2026 14:43:30 GMT60Wilks Williams<p>Running a football club isn’t just about what happens on the pitch.</p><p><b>The Modern Football Club</b> takes you inside the real world of grassroots football, where volunteers juggle admin, coaches fight for time, and clubs grow faster than their systems can handle.</p><p>This podcast is an honest, no-filter look at the challenges, decisions, and lessons that come with building something that actually works.</p><p>No fluff. No headlines. Just the reality of football behind the scenes.</p>episodicWilks Williamswilks@wilks9.comyes<![CDATA[Challenges of collecting subs]]>The conversation delves into the challenges of collecting subs for grassroots football clubs, highlighting the awkwardness, the real cost, the consequences of not collecting properly, and practical solutions for addressing these issues. It emphasizes the importance of transparency in club finances and the impact it has on the sustainability of the club.

Takeaways

  • Challenges of collecting subs
  • Importance of transparency in club finances

Chapters

  • 00:00 Practical Solutions for Collecting Subs
]]>68829646-fdb9-4151-a521-b1fbe6430ebfWed, 13 May 2026 15:01:38 GMT<p>The conversation delves into the challenges of collecting subs for grassroots football clubs, highlighting the awkwardness, the real cost, the consequences of not collecting properly, and practical solutions for addressing these issues. It emphasizes the importance of transparency in club finances and the impact it has on the sustainability of the club.</p><p></p><p>Takeaways</p><ul><li>Challenges of collecting subs</li><li>Importance of transparency in club finances</li></ul><p></p><p>Chapters</p><ul><li>00:00 Practical Solutions for Collecting Subs</li></ul>no00:13:42Challenges of collecting subsfull<![CDATA[FutureFit or Future Chaos? Why the FA's 3v3 Revolution Will Make or Break]]>The FA is mandating 3v3 football for all Under-7s from August 2026. No goalkeepers. No referees. No league tables. And most grassroots clubs still aren't ready.

In this episode I break down exactly what the change is, why the FA made it, what it means practically for your club — and give you my honest take on whether it's actually going to work.

What we cover:

  • What the FutureFit framework is and the research behind it
  • What 3v3 actually looks like on a Saturday morning
  • The three challenges nobody's talking about
  • What the best clubs will do differently before August
  • My honest verdict — right call, wrong execution?

Whether you're a club secretary, coach, chairman, or football parent — this one's for you.

🔗 Resources mentioned:

FA FutureFit Digital Content Hub — https://www.englandfootball.com/futurefit

Football Foundation Goal Funding — https://footballfoundation.org.uk

England Football Learning (3v3 Coaching Resources) — https://learn.englandfootball.com

360Player (Club Management Platform) — https://en-us.360player.com

📌 Timestamps: 00:00 — Cold Open 02:30 — What is FutureFit? 06:00 — How 3v3 works on matchday 11:00 — The challenges nobody's talking about 17:00 — What the best clubs will do differently 22:00 — My honest take 27:00 — Close & final thought

If you found this useful, share it with someone at your club who needs to hear it. A coach, a chairman, a parent. The more clubs that go into 2026-27 prepared, the better it is for the kids.

Subscribe for weekly content on grassroots football, club management, and the business of running a football club.

]]>c7340862-6700-4629-83b2-a1289b81f480Tue, 21 Apr 2026 15:20:33 GMT<p>The FA is mandating 3v3 football for all Under-7s from August 2026. No goalkeepers. No referees. No league tables. And most grassroots clubs still aren't ready.</p><p>In this episode I break down exactly what the change is, why the FA made it, what it means practically for your club — and give you my honest take on whether it's actually going to work.</p><p><b>What we cover:</b></p><ul><li>What the FutureFit framework is and the research behind it</li><li>What 3v3 actually looks like on a Saturday morning</li><li>The three challenges nobody's talking about</li><li>What the best clubs will do differently before August</li><li>My honest verdict — right call, wrong execution?</li></ul><p>Whether you're a club secretary, coach, chairman, or football parent — this one's for you.</p><hr /><p><b>🔗 Resources mentioned:</b></p><p>FA FutureFit Digital Content Hub — <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.englandfootball.com/futurefit" target="_blank">https://www.englandfootball.com/futurefit</a></p><p>Football Foundation Goal Funding — <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://footballfoundation.org.uk" target="_blank">https://footballfoundation.org.uk</a></p><p>England Football Learning (3v3 Coaching Resources) — <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://learn.englandfootball.com" target="_blank">https://learn.englandfootball.com</a></p><p>360Player (Club Management Platform) — <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://en-us.360player.com" target="_blank">https://en-us.360player.com</a></p><hr /><p><b>📌 Timestamps:</b> 00:00 — Cold Open 02:30 — What is FutureFit? 06:00 — How 3v3 works on matchday 11:00 — The challenges nobody's talking about 17:00 — What the best clubs will do differently 22:00 — My honest take 27:00 — Close &amp; final thought</p><hr /><p><i>If you found this useful, share it with someone at your club who needs to hear it. A coach, a chairman, a parent. The more clubs that go into 2026-27 prepared, the better it is for the kids.</i></p><p><i>Subscribe for weekly content on grassroots football, club management, and the business of running a football club.</i></p>no00:16:03FutureFit or Future Chaos? Why the FA's 3v3 Revolution Will Make or Breakfull<![CDATA[Comminications in Grassroots]]>The conversation highlights the challenges of using WhatsApp for communication in grassroots football and the transition to a more centralized and structured approach. It emphasizes the importance of simplifying communication and the positive impact it has on club dynamics and community. The key takeaways are the communication challenges in grassroots football and the significance of centralized communication.

Takeaways

  • Communication challenges in grassroots football
  • Centralized communication is key

Chapters

  • 00:00 The Problem with WhatsApp
  • 06:13 Impact on Club Dynamics
]]>e71291a9-1959-4a78-b47e-bcbff772e594Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:08:48 GMT<p>The conversation highlights the challenges of using WhatsApp for communication in grassroots football and the transition to a more centralized and structured approach. It emphasizes the importance of simplifying communication and the positive impact it has on club dynamics and community. The key takeaways are the communication challenges in grassroots football and the significance of centralized communication.</p><p></p><p>Takeaways</p><ul><li>Communication challenges in grassroots football</li><li>Centralized communication is key</li></ul><p></p><p>Chapters</p><ul><li>00:00 The Problem with WhatsApp</li><li>06:13 Impact on Club Dynamics</li></ul>no00:08:1012Comminications in Grassrootsfull<![CDATA[Grassroots Football is Broken (Here’s What We Learned)]]>The conversation delves into the challenges faced by grassroots football clubs, emphasizing the importance of organization and communication. It highlights the impact of communication and financial management, the transformation through organization and commitment, and the importance of getting organized for the growth and success of football clubs.

Takeaways

  • Challenges of grassroots football
  • Importance of organization and communication

Chapters

  • 00:00 The Challenges of Running a Football Club
  • 05:24 The Transformation Through Organization and Commitment
]]>ac9aa32b-b69f-4690-b8fe-8d376714249eTue, 24 Mar 2026 09:07:59 GMT<p>The conversation delves into the challenges faced by grassroots football clubs, emphasizing the importance of organization and communication. It highlights the impact of communication and financial management, the transformation through organization and commitment, and the importance of getting organized for the growth and success of football clubs.</p><p></p><p>Takeaways</p><ul><li>Challenges of grassroots football</li><li>Importance of organization and communication</li></ul><p></p><p>Chapters</p><ul><li>00:00 The Challenges of Running a Football Club</li><li>05:24 The Transformation Through Organization and Commitment</li></ul>no00:08:5611Grassroots Football is Broken (Here’s What We Learned)full